How to Read a Kia Vehicle Identification Number

Every vehicle has a Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, to properly identify that vehicle. All Kia VINs are 17 alphanumeric characters. Your Kia's VIN may look like a bunch of random letters and numbers that mean nothing to you, but in actuality, every letter and number has a specific meaning and purpose for identifying your specific Kia. Once you are aware of what each character means, knowing your VIN may come in handy.

• 1

  Locate your Kia's 17 character VIN on the dashboard between the windshield and the steering wheel. The VIN is usually engraved into a metal plate.

• 2

  Write down your Kia's 17 character alphanumeric VIN.

• 3

  Go to a website such as "Motoverse," "Kia Clearance" or "Decode This!" and enter your Kia's VIN into the search box. The website will decode your Kia's VIN for you.

• 4

  Read the decoded VIN. The website should go into detail about what each character stands for.

• 5

  Observe that all of the characters stand for a code. The first character stands for the country the vehicle was manufactured in, therefore it is "K" for Korea. The second is Kia's manufacturer code, which is "N." The third is the manufacturing division. The fourth through eighth characters are body, style, engine type, model and series. The ninth character is a check code that Kia uses for recording number accuracy. The 10th character identifies the year. The 11th identifies the plant where your Kia was assembled. Finally, the 12th through 17th characters identify the specific vehicle's production line number, and those numbers will always be numeric.